Taraba to rehabilitate 19,000 victims of Katibu attacks by herdsmen

Jalingo, Jan, 21, 2018 (TNE) Taraba Deputy Governor, Alhaji Haruna Manu, said on Sunday that the state government will rehabilitate the more than 19,000 victims of the recent violent attacks, allegedly carried out by herdsmen in Katibu, Lau Local Government Area of the state.

Manu announced this at Shawuya Primary School, Jalingo, where some of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are camped.

He directed the council chairman, Mr Hassan Waniyafiwani, to liaise with the camp authorities to draw up a list of all the essential needs of the IDPs and submit same to government for action.

The deputy governor also directed the immediate distribution of food items earlier provided by the state to the IDPs at Shawuya Primary School camp and other camps in the area.

Manu said government is doing everything possible to ensure that adequate security is put in place at Katibu for the safety of victims, preparatory to returning home.

He, however, said no amount of support by government will end violent attacks and clashes in the state if people fail to live in peace with one another.

“You must learn to tolerate one another and live in peace, because nobody will send away his perceived enemy since we are all natives.

“It was exactly seven months since I visited Lau over similar crises, and I was assured by various communities that there would be no more violence in the area.

“There are countries that have a population of over 100 million, but do not have the land mass of Taraba, yet they are living in peace. Why can’t we have peace?”

Earlier, the Camp Coordinator, Dauda Godin, said the Jan. 7 attacks had displaced more than 19,000 people taking refuge in various IDPs camps.

He said many of the IDPs are traumatised by the loss of their loved ones and their property.

Godin noted that the poor sanitary conditions in the camp call for an urgent need to avert outbreak of diseases, as the IDPs are even sleeping on bare floor.